Epitaph For A Demon
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: The Brotherhood of the Thorn hatches a plan to get Cole back and destroy the Charmed Ones in the process.
1. Chapter 1

CHARMED

"Epitaph For A Demon"

By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. K+

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes "Knight To Remember" and "Brain Drain".)

The Brotherhood of the Thorn hatches a plan to get Cole back and destroy the Charmed Ones in the process.

ONE

Teltrick watched as three other demons entered the chamber. He knew all of them intimately. Most of them he had served with for many decades. As members of the Brotherhood of the Thorn they trusted each other implicitly. More so than most other demons trusted anyone.

The three demons were the new hierarchy in the Brotherhood. With Raynor vanquished the entire Brotherhood had decided it was time for new leadership. Most had not agreed with Raynor's decision to use the soul of Belthazor's father against him. For most, it had violated the very core of what the Brotherhood stood for.

The first demon was Kempac. He had been one of the original members of the Brotherhood. Most of the original members had long ago been vanquished. But Kempac, with only a few others, had survived.

The second demon was Nelsar. Although not as old as either Kempac or Teltrick, he was one of the most senior in the Brotherhood. His specialty was tracking rouge demons. And he was very good at it.

The third and final demon was Baldasor. The youngest of the four demons he was one of the most powerful. He had belonged to the Brotherhood for only about two hundred years but in that time most of the Brotherhood had come to rely on his wisdom. In this instance his advice would be doubly necessary.

"It is decided," said Kempac. "None spoke against the selection. Congratulations, Teltrick. You are now leader of the Brotherhood of the Thorn."

"Good," said Teltrick. "Kempac, I choose you as my second-in-command. Baldasor, I choose you as the official advisor. Inform the others immediately. After the recent debacle it is important that we remove the stain which Raynor has placed on the Brotherhood."

"We are agreed," said Nelsar. "There was no honor in what Raynor did. We have discussed it and the entire Brotherhood is in agreement. Belthazor was justified in vanquishing Raynor. Raynor dishonored the name of the Brotherhood of the Thorn when he resorted to subterfuge and extortion. A brother should never be treated in such a manor by another brother."

"Agreed," said Teltrick. "The question is the best way to remove that dishonor. To restore the honor of the Brotherhood."

"I believe I have an idea," said Baldasor. "Raynor's disgrace was caused because he tried to bring Belthazor back into the fold. Only he chose to do so in a way that I could have told him would never work."

"Why not?" questioned Kempac. "Under other circumstances I might have agreed with Raynor. Using the soul of a human to force a specified course of action. It is a most ingenious way to control someone else."

"Not my brother," said Baldasor. "You don't understand him as I do. Although he suppressed his human half for more than a century, he is still half human. His kinship to his father is more pronounced than that of any demon. And his desire to protect his father, even his father's soul, is as pronounced as any human. Using the soul in that way Raynor was simply inviting disaster. In the end he could only loose. And you are all fully aware of how vengeful Belthazor can be. That has not changed even if he has become good."

"You implied there was a way to bring him back to the Brotherhood," said Teltrick. "Perhaps a way that does not risk enraging him against us further?"

"That would be hard to determine," said Baldasor. "Belthazor has always been extremely emotional. It is his human half. I think that no matter what we do we risk angering him further. That's because the only way to bring him back to us is to destroy the love between him and his witch."

"Raynor tried that," said Nelsar. "And he was vanquished for his trouble. If we try to do that we could risk the same fate. Belthazor is a most formidable opponent."

"That he is," said Baldasor. "But Raynor made one mistake. He tried to force my brother to destroy that love by forcing him to become evil again. That allowed Belthazor to focus his anger on someone else. That is why he vanquished Raynor. What we have to do is turn Belthazor evil without being directly involved."

"I don't understand," said Kempac. "How are we to turn Belthazor evil without being involved? Are you suggesting we use a go-between? Someone not connected to the Brotherhood to force the evil in your brother to resurface?"

"No," said Baldasor. "First, there is no demon who could be trusted fully to accomplish that goal for us. Second, there are few demons with the necessary strength to do so. Third, and most importantly, this is a matter for the Brotherhood alone. It would not be appropriate to involve demons outside the Brotherhood."

"Then what are you suggesting?" asked Teltrick. "You say we can't get help from other demons outside the Brotherhood and we all agree that it would be wrong for the Brotherhood to force him to go against his nature. What's left?"

"The only demon capable of doing it," said Baldasor. "I know my brother. Perhaps even better than he knows himself. And certainly better than any other demon knows him. If we are to bring his evil nature to the surface and restore him to the Brotherhood, there is only one demon who can do that. Belthazor himself. If I'm right – and we are successful – my brother will have no one to blame but himself. And that should be enough to bring him back to us."

"If we are successful at what?" asked Kempac.

"The death of his witch," said Baldasor. "Perhaps the death of all three Charmed Ones."


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

Paige came in the front door of the manor with a large box in her hand. Cole, always the gentleman, immediately reached for the box, seeing that she was having trouble holding it. As he did, Phoebe stepped out of the living room.

"Is that it?" Phoebe asked.

"I think so," sighed Paige. "I never realized just how much stuff you can accumulate in such a short amount of time. I'm going to have to go through all of this and see what I can get rid of."

"Well, I don't think you had to bring all the canned and dry goods," commented Cole, looking in the box. "I'm pretty sure Piper keeps the kitchen very well stocked."

"Yeah, well it cost me my hard earned money," said Paige. "I figured as long as I bought it we might as well use it. Besides, if I'm going to live here I figure I'll have to do my share of footing the bills."

"That's the normal deal," said Piper, coming out of the kitchen. "All moved in?"

"Pretty much," said Paige. "So, with three women in the same house do we have a bathroom schedule worked out yet?"

"Oh, I just figured we'd use the same one we have before," said Phoebe. "Only Piper and I get to move up a notch."

"And I get to be last?" questioned Paige.

"You are the youngest," snickered Piper. "Besides, we have more than one bathroom. I'm sure we can work out some schedule that will be mutually beneficial to everyone."

"What do you want me to do with all this?" Cole asked Piper.

"Oh, put it in the kitchen," said Piper, looking in the box. "I'm sure I can find some place for all this stuff. Looks like I won't have to do any shopping for a few days."

"Anything I can do to help," said Paige.

"Oh, you're going to regret that," said Cole, a slight smile on his face as he went into the kitchen.

"What does that mean?" questioned Paige.

"Just Cole's sense of humor," said Phoebe. "You'll get used to it."

"Where's Leo?" Paige asked. "I thought he lived here, too."

"He does," said Piper. "Right now he's in, I think, Mexico. He said something about a call from one of his other charges."

"Other charges?" questioned Paige. "He has other charges besides us."

"Most White Lighters have several charges," said Phoebe. "Come on. We'll go in and put your groceries away and I'll explain a few things about being related to a White Lighter."

Piper just rolled her eyes as she followed her sisters into the kitchen. As she did a plant sitting next to the fireplace suddenly shimmered and changed. In it's place stood a small creature barely five feet tall. It was uniformly black all over and only it's eyes showed that it wasn't simply a shadow. It looked toward the kitchen for a moment and then shimmered out of the manor.

Seconds later the creature appeared in the Underworld. In the chamber where it appeared stood the Teltrick, Kempac, and Baldasor. They waited as the small demon moved up to Teltrick. It spoke in shrill whistles, clicks, and popping sounds. Teltrick listened until the creature finished speaking.

"The changeling says that Belthazor is in the manor now," said Teltrick. "It is young and inexperienced but it has served well. We have the information we need for Baldasor's plan." He turned back to the changeling. "Return to the manor. Complete the assignment given you by the Source. I shall see that you are rewarded."

The changeling shimmered and vanished from the chamber.

"It was good that the Source had the changeling watching the Halliwell manor," said Baldasor. "It saved us the trouble of sending someone in."

"Okay," said Kempac, "we now know that Belthazor is with the witches. What do we do next?"

"I think our best bet is Jorlan," said Baldasor. "I believe he's our best bet to accomplish our goal at the moment."

"Jorlan?" questioned Teltrick. "He's not even a demon. He's an alchemist. And he's human. If I remember correctly he was at one time an assistant to Kumak wasn't he?"

"Yes," said Baldasor. "Kumak was attempting to clone witches and convert the clones to evil. As far as I know he has never been successful."

"Of what benefit could this Jorlan be?" asked Kempac.

"Some of Kumak's early experiments will be of use to us here," said Baldasor. "Jorlan was present during those experiments. He eventually became convinced that Kumak would never be successful and went out on his own. But I think he will remember those early experiments. Experiments which were very successful."

"Bring Jorlan to us," said Teltrick. "He will tell us what we need to know or he will die."

"I don't think that will work in this case," said Baldasor. "We have no way of knowing if what he tells us is true. I think, in this case, it would be best to purchase his information."

"And how do we know he will tell us the truth even in that event?" asked Teltrick.

"Because," said Baldasor, "we will pay him half his payment up front. Once we are sure his information is accurate, we will pay him the other half. That should be incentive to have him tell us what we need to know."

"Are you sure it will work?" asked Kempac.

"I have had a half human brother for more than a century," said Baldasor. "In that time I have learned some things about humans. If the payment is something he wishes bad enough, he'll tell us the truth."

"And how do we find out what he wants that badly?" asked Teltrick.

"We ask him," said Baldasor. "I'm sure he'll be more than willing to tell us what he wishes as payment."

"Very well," said Teltrick. "You know these matters better than we. Bring Jorlan to us and we will learn what he wishes as payment. Perhaps we can bring our brother back to us yet."

"We will also need a female demon and young child," said Baldasor. "And a very powerful cerebral demon. Belthazor is exceptionally strong willed. It will require a demon of exceptional ability to keep him from discovering what we're doing."

"I can handle those," said Kempac. "I know just the demon."

"And an illusion demon," said Baldasor. "Someone who can conceal our activities from any onlookers."

"I'll handle that as well," said Kempac. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'll tell you once Jorlan has agreed to help us," said Baldasor.

"Very well," said Teltrick. "Now all we have to do is pick the location. It should be some place reasonably secluded."

"No," said Baldasor. "Belthazor would expect something like that. What we have to do is pick a location that he won't be expecting an attack. Some place where he will feel relatively safe."

"Where can we find such a place?" asked Kempac.

"We watch him," said Baldasor. "The others have to be ready on a moment's notice. We may have only one chance at this."

"I'll make sure they are ready," said Teltrick. "Now, bring Jorlan to me. It's time we brought our wayward brother back into the fold."

Baldasor smiled and bowed to Teltrick and Kempac and then shimmered out of the chamber.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"Do I really have to do this?" Cole asked. He was less than enthused. He kept looking around to make sure no one he knew was watching. "This isn't exactly something I have any experience with."

"It's the perfect way to take our minds off everything," said Phoebe. "Besides, if you're going to live as a human you have to start doing things that other humans do. Like going shopping with your girlfriend. Besides, I need you to tell me if something looks good on me."

"Are you sure other boyfriends really do this?" asked Cole suspiciously as they entered a women's shop.

"The ones who really care do. The family that shops together stays together."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how that saying goes."

"It does if you want to keep me happy, sweetie," said Phoebe.

"Look, honey, you know I'd do anything for you. I vanquished the Triad for you. But there are some things I just don't think I'm ready for yet. Like sitting around a women's clothing store while you try on outfits. Maybe I should work my way up to this."

"So, what would you suggest?"

"Well," said Cole thoughtfully, "why don't I go find a store that I'm more comfortable in. Like a men's clothing store. I can meet you back here in say half an hour. I'm sure whatever you pick out will be fabulous. You have such great fashion sense I'm sure I'll like whatever outfit you pick out."

"Is that why you love me? For my great fashion sense?"

"Amongst other things. And I'm sure that eventually I'll be able to help you pick out outfits. I just don't think I'm ready for this just yet."

"Okay, sweetie, you go on. I guess we have to let you work your way up to some things. But you owe me."

"Thanks, honey," said Cole, sighing slightly and kissing her on the cheek. "I really appreciate it."

Cole left the women's store and walked toward one of the men's stores he knew about. He had never had occasion to use it. When he was working for the Source his suits had all been handmade. Now, being out of work, it looked like he would have to buy them off the rack like everyone else. It was a small enough sacrifice to be with Phoebe.

He really didn't need a new suit right now. Most of his suits were less than a year old. They would be suitable until he could get employment somewhere. But until he could get out from under the death sentence by the Source, getting another job could be problematic.

As he walked past a hallway that led to the offices in the mall he glanced down the hallway. A young girl of perhaps seven or eight was sitting in one corner sniveling. She was clutching a small rag doll for dear life. Cole looked around but all he saw were people hurrying through the mall doing their shopping.

He thought for a moment. Ordinarily he wouldn't have given the girl a second thought. Not unless it had been part of one of his plans. As it was she was just a lost child probably frightened at being alone. He should just walk away. It wasn't his problem.

But that's not what Phoebe would do. And it's not what she would expect him to do. If he was going to be a "normal" human he'd have to be a caring, considerate person who helped those in need. That's what Phoebe and her sisters would do and that's what they would expect him to do. Sighing he turned and walked down to the little girl.

"Are you okay?" he asked bending down to the little girl.

"I lost my mommy," said the little girl.

"Well, why don't we go see if we can find her, okay? I'm sure she's looking for you, too. This is a big place but I'm sure we can find her. What do you say?"

"Okay."

Cole stood up and held out his hand for the little girl to take. As he straightened up he got a head rush and became dizzy for a moment. He closed his eyes and waited for the head rush to pass. When it did he looked down to see the little girl standing next to him.

"Are you okay, mister?" asked the little girl.

"I'm fine. What's your name? My name is Cole."

"Debbie," said someone behind Cole.

Cole looked to see a woman coming down the hallway toward the two. She rushed up and scooped the little girl in her arms.

"Debbie, here you are. I've been looking all over for you. What are you doing here?"

"I think she's fine," said Cole. "I found her here crying. We were just about to go look for you."

"This is my new friend, Cole," said the little girl.

"Thank you, Mr. Cole," said the woman. "I turned around for a moment and she just vanished."

"I understand kids have a habit of doing that."

"Thank you for finding her. I really appreciate the help."

"No problem," said Cole.

The woman took the girl and hurried out into the mall among the throng of people. Cole felt proud of himself. Wait until he told Phoebe what he had done. It felt good to do something without any thought of reward. It was a new feeling for him. He decided he could get used to that feeling.

As Cole headed back into the mall the woman walked up to three men standing outside the mall. She put the little girl on the ground next to the men and turned to the biggest man.

"It went exactly as you said," she said to the man. "I don't think he suspected a thing."

"Excellent," said the man. "You will be rewarded for your service."

The woman bowed slightly and then took the little girl and walked away from the three men.

"I don't understand," said one of the other men. "Why did we have to meet out here? With all the humans in there I find it highly unlikely that he would have noticed us. And even if he had, I doubt he would have suspected anything."

"Your forget, Dellar, he's my brother," said Baldasor. "He would have recognized me instantly."

"I could have used my power to mask your identity," said Dellar. "Or Cha'Len could have used his illusion ability to make us appear differently."

"No, my brother is too smart for that," said Baldasor. "You may have been able to cloud his mind with the little girl, Dellar, but head on Belthazor would have been able to pierce your cerebral powers. No, this was the best option. Jorlan tells me it will be only a short time before he's ready. We need to get back to the Underworld."

"Out here in the open?" asked Cha'Len.

"Of course not," said Baldasor. "There's an alcove around the side that will be perfect."

Together, Dellar and Cha'Len followed Baldasor to the alcove so they could shimmer back to the Underworld.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

"Jorlan tells me everything went as planned," said Teltrick as Baldasor and the others shimmered into the Underworld chamber.

"Precision as clockwork, as my brother would say," said Baldasor. "He never suspected a thing. Frankly I'm amazed Jorlan was able to accomplish it so quickly. I would think that something like that would require a great deal of time and effort."

"Normally it would," said Jorlan, walking into the chamber. "It's one of the reasons my fee was so high. I only had one absorption crystal and you know how rare those are. It may be years or decades before I come across another one. I needed to be adequately compensated for using such a rare and valuable item. They can only be used once."

"We appreciate it," said Teltrick. "And once you prove it has done what you claim you will receive the rest of your payment."

Jorlan removed a large diamond from his pocket. The diamond had a red glow to it as if a red light was shining inside. He also removed a piece of paper from his pocket.

"All you have to do is recite the incantation," he said, handing the paper and diamond to Teltrick. "Once you do that, it will all be automatic."

"What about afterwards?" Baldasor asked. "When we've finished? How do we undo the magic?"

"There's only one way," said Jorlan. "You must destroy the gem. Once the gem is destroyed the magic will be undone and everything will return to normal."

"Go collect your payment," said Teltrick. "But know this, alchemist. If this does not work exactly as you've described we'll be back for the payment. And we do not take kindly to betrayal. Especially by a human."

"It will work," said Jorlan with a crooked smile. "You'll see. Just follow my instructions and you'll have no problems."

"Go," Teltrick commanded.

"What do we do now?" Baldasor asked.

"We finish what Belthazor was sent to do," said Teltrick. "We destroy the Charmed Ones. And we bring a brother back into the fold in the process."

"You two were gone long enough," said Piper as Phoebe and Cole shimmered into the manor.

"It took longer to pick out the outfit I wanted than I expected," said Phoebe. "Especially since I had to do it all by myself."

"She couldn't talk you into shopping with her?" Piper asked Cole.

"I just felt awkward in a women's store, that's all," said Cole. "It's not exactly what I would call a common occurrence in my life. I decided to do a little shopping of my own."

"And he helped a lost little girl in the process," said Phoebe. "My hero."

"It wasn't all that," said Cole. "Her mother showed up almost as soon as I found her. I really didn't do all that much."

"Well, she was lucky it was you who found her," said Leo. "There are some people out there who wouldn't have been so accommodating."

"I don't know why mothers can't keep track of their children," said Paige.

"Well, you get busy shopping and it only takes a moment for the kids to slip away," said Piper. "You can't keep your eyes on them all the time."

"It still shouldn't be such a big deal to keep one eye on your own kid," said Paige.

"Let's hear you say that when you have kids of your own," said Phoebe. "Personally I don't know how mothers do it. I mean, kids are a big responsibility. They're dependent on you for everything, especially when they're younger. I don't see how mothers can handle all that and everything else they have to handle, too."

"It's just like the three of you," said Leo. "Before you became witches you couldn't have dreamed how you'd handle demon attacks and still handle everything else you have to do. Now, it's second nature to you."

"Speak for yourself," said Paige. "I'm still learning."

"We all are, sweetie," said Piper. "And it has come with a cost. We don't exactly lead normal lives outside of the demon attacks."

"You do fine," said Leo. "It's just a matter of priorities."

"I think I'll get a glass of water," said Cole. "I'm suddenly very thirsty."

"Don't just leave it on the counter like you did the last time," said Piper as Cole headed for the kitchen. "Put it in the sink like everyone else."

"Yes, mother," snickered Cole.

Cole went into the kitchen and took a glass out of the cupboard. As he turned around he noticed a man standing only a few feet from him. The man was as tall as Cole but somewhat more muscular. He was holding an athame menacingly at him.

"Hello, Belthazor," said the man. "I knew if I bided my time I'd catch you alone. Now, if you'll just come quietly no one has to die. The Source's bounty on you is alive or dead. But the bounty for alive is much higher. I'd much rather collect the higher bounty but I won't hesitate to collect it off your dead body if necessary."

"Warrick," said Cole. "Still upset that I made it into the Brotherhood of the Thorn and you didn't, huh? It's not my fault you couldn't cut it. You just weren't up to their standards."

"So they said," said Warrick. "With my lineage I should have been an automatic induction. But they'd rather have a half human bastard like you instead. One little mistake and I loose my chance forever."

"You cheated," said Cole. "That alone proves you weren't Brotherhood material. You'd know that if you understood what the Brotherhood stood for. But you've always seen them as just another demonic order. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"We'll see, won't we," said Warrick. "Once I deliver you to the Source I'll prove I as good as any of them. They'll have to let me in then."

"You just don't get it, do you?" questioned Cole. "You only get one chance to prove you're Brotherhood material. You proved you weren't. Nothing will ever change that. You'll never belong to the Brotherhood."

"We'll just see about that," said Warrick. "Now, let's go back to the Underworld, shall we? Oh, and don't try any of your tricks with me I'm as good a mercenary as you ever were. And I have some friends standing by waiting in case I need some help. More than enough friends to take care of even you."

Cole eyed Warrick suspiciously. He was right about one thing. He was as good a mercenary as Cole had ever been. It was one of the reasons he had been invited to join the Brotherhood. But he was too impatient. He had tried to shorten his initiation. When he did their invitation for him to join had been revoked.

He knew if he went with Warrick that the mercenary would deliver him directly to the Source. He also knew that if he cried out Warrick would attack before the others had a chance to get into the kitchen. Cole put the glass on the countertop and turned away from Warrick as if he were submitting to him.

Suddenly Cole spun and kicked at one of the chairs around the table. The chair slid across the floor striking Warrick. Caught off balance, Warrick dropped the athame he was holding. Cole didn't wait. With Warrick temporarily off balance he had only once chance. He raised his arm and cast an energy ball directly at the demonic mercenary.

Except that no energy ball materialized. Cole stood looking at Warrick in complete surprise as the mercenary formed his own energy ball and prepared to cast it at Cole.


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

"That was foolish, Belthazor," said Warrick. "Now I guess I'll just have to collect the lower bounty on your corpse."

Warrick raised his hand with the energy ball in it. Cole tried to shimmer away but nothing happened. He didn't know what to do. In a moment Warrick would cast the energy ball and he would die. Suddenly Warrick's back exploded but reformed almost instantly. Warrick turned, the energy ball extinguishing. Piper was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hey," she said in anger, "I just cleaned this kitchen. If anyone is going to do any vanquishing in here it's me, mister."

"Charmed Ones," hissed Warrick.

Before Piper could attack again Warrick shimmered and was gone from the kitchen.

"Thanks," said Cole. "I thought I was dead."

"What happened?" Phoebe asked, rushing to make sure Cole was okay. "Why did you just stand there like that?"

"I couldn't form an energy ball," said Cole. "I tried but nothing happened. Then I tried to shimmer but nothing happened that time either. My powers are gone."

"Oh, this can't good," said Paige, standing behind Piper.

"Are we ready?" Teltrick asked.

"We are ready," said Baldasor. "The instructions given to us by Jorlan were exactly as he said."

"Good," said Teltrick. "The Source will be pleased. And we will have our brother back."

"I don't understand why we have to do this," said Kempac. "Why not just kill Turner and prevent this from happening again?"

"Because Cole Turner and Belthazor are two halves of the same coin," said Baldasor. "Most demons have always considered him less than demonic because of his human half. Even I used to feel that way. That somehow his human half made him inferior to us.

"But I have learned that this thinking is not entirely accurate. His human half has often proven to be a source of strength that other demons do not possess. You are familiar with his Brotherhood initiation. His accomplishment there was due directly to his human half. An accomplishment no demon has ever duplicated before or since."

"I agree with Baldasor," said Teltrick. "If we are to have our brother back we must have him back whole. That means his human half as well as his demonic half. And he has helped teach the Brotherhood about humanity. A task he could not have done if he were fully demon."

"I did not mean to disparage our brother," said Kempac. "I know the benefit he has been to the Brotherhood. I only thought to explore all of our options."

"No disparage was implied," said Teltrick. "I, too, had considered that option. But Baldasor is correct. Cole Turner is half of who Belthazor is. Besides, Cole Turner is a member of the Brotherhood just as Belthazor is. Once a brother always a brother. If we are to bring our brother back into the fold we must bring all of him back."

"Understood," said Kempac. "How soon before we can put the plan into action?"

"Very soon now," said Baldasor. "Very soon."

"I don't understand," said Phoebe. "How could your powers just suddenly be gone? The only thing that I know that can do that is a power stripping potion and we haven't used one."

"I don't know," said Cole. "But all of my demonic powers are gone. I can't even change to Belthazor. It's like I'm fully human."

"Who could have done this?" Piper asked Leo. "Who has the power to strip his powers away like this?"

"I don't know," said Leo. "There are beings who can do it but Cole said that nothing out of the ordinary happened. If any of them had done this Cole would have remembered encountering them."

"Unless the memories were removed from me," said Cole. "There are creatures who can suppress or remove memories. I could have had my powers stripped and then the memories of it suppressed or removed."

"When?" Phoebe asked. "Your powers were working fine when you returned to the manor. And I've been with you every second since then. Nothing unusual has happened."

"What about at the mall?" Paige asked. "Could something have happened there?"

"I don't see how," said Cole. "I left Phoebe in the clothing store and wandered around the mall for a while. Then I went back and picked her up. I remember everything clearly. If someone had removed or suppressed my memories there would be gaps in them. I don't have any gaps."

"What about the Elders?" Piper asked. "Do you think they could have done this?"

"Well, they certainly have the power to remove a creature's powers," said Cole. "They've done it to White Lighters on occasion. And even to some witches."

"Except the Elders have no power over me," said Cole. "Removing a demon's powers isn't like turning off a light switch. And I doubt even the Elders could do it to me. If they could do that they wouldn't need witches or White Lighters. They'd just remove the powers of any demon they came across."

"He's right," said Leo. "They don't have any power or authority over demons, even half demons. It sounds more and more like this is the work of the Underworld. Maybe some form of attack the Source has come up with."

"But how did they do it?" Phoebe asked. "Cole says he has no lapses in his memories. And I don't have any. So how did they remove his powers without us knowing about it."

"I don't know," said Leo. "There used to be a demon that had the power to suppress powers. His name was, I think, Talpax. But I haven't heard of him being around for a while."

"He was vanquished by the Source after World War II," said Cole. "He was a subordinate of Kernian. When Kernian disobeyed the Source during World War II the Source had him and all of his subordinates that were involved vanquished after the war."

"Okay, so scratch one power suppressing demon," said Phoebe. "Any other ideas who might have done this? And more importantly, any ideas why they would do it? If a demon could get close enough to Cole to suppress or remove his powers why not just vanquish him? He's under a sentence of death from the Source, isn't he? Why take away his powers and not just kill him?"

"Because you dishonored him and made him a traitor, human. You caused him to betray his own kind. And now you will pay for your treachery and interference."

They all looked at the entryway to see who had spoken. They expected to see a demon – or perhaps more than one – standing in the entryway. What they saw caused all of them to gasp in surprise.

Standing in the entryway, holding an energy ball, was the demon Belthazor.


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

"That's not possible," said Phoebe. "Cole is Belthazor. He can't be standing there."

"How little you understand the nature of magic, witch," said Belthazor. "Or the nature of demons. You have muddled Turner's mind. Caused him to doubt that for which he was born. But soon he will return to the place he belongs. His brothers will welcome him back to his rightful place."

"And just how do you plan to do that?" Piper asked.

"By completing the assignment he was sent here to do," said Belthazor. "By destroying the enemies of the Source."

Without warning Belthazor cast the energy ball he was holding directly at Phoebe. Paige called for the energy ball and it orbed instantly to her hand. She then cast the weapon back at Belthazor, striking him in the chest. It pushed him back a step but didn't seem to cause any damage.

"Okay, this isn't good," said Piper.

Phoebe shrieked. Everyone involuntarily turned and saw Cole lying on the floor with a large burn mark in his chest. His breath was coming in labored gasps and he was shaking uncontrollably.

"I'll be back for you, witch," snarled Belthazor. "You will die by my hand."

Suddenly Belthazor shimmered and vanished from the manor. Everyone hurriedly move to see how badly injured Cole was. It was evident to everyone that he was dying. Within a few moments he would be dead.

"Leo, do something," screamed Phoebe. "You have to heal him."

"I'm not sure it will do any good," said Leo. "I can only heal his human half. As badly injured as he is it may not be enough."

"Try," screamed Phoebe. "You can't let him die."

Leo placed his hands over the burn mark in Cole's chest and activated his healing powers. A soft yellow glow covered Cole's chest and within seconds the wound was healed, including Cole's shirt. Even the blood on his chest vanished under Leo's healing ability. Cole sat up and looked at Leo.

"Thanks," he said. "I don't know what happened."

"Neither do I," said Leo, confusion in his voice.

"Okay," said Paige, "just how did Cole get hurt? That Belthazor only cast the one energy ball and I orbed it to me, and then cast it back at him. How did Cole get hurt?"

"I wish I knew," said Piper. "I was watching Belthazor, not Cole."

"We have another mystery on our hands," said Leo. "When I healed Cole, I healed him completely. Not like I did before. Before I was only able to heal his human half, not his demonic half. This time I healed him totally. That shouldn't be possible."

"It might if I was fully human," said Cole. "If I didn't have my demonic half then your healing power would have worked completely on me."

"But that's not possible," said Phoebe. "You're half demon."

"I was half demon," said Cole. "It would explain why my powers are suddenly missing. Somehow, someone has figured out a way to remove my demonic half leaving me fully human. That's why I don't have any powers. And how Belthazor could attack us."

"Even if that's true," said Paige, "it doesn't explain how you got hurt."

"Unless Belthazor and I are still somehow connected," said Cole. "If that's true then whatever happens to him hurts me and vice versa."

"If that's true," said Phoebe, "then we have no way to defeat Belthazor. If we vanquish him it will kill you."

"Is the witch dead?" Teltrick asked when Belthazor had shimmered into the Underworld chamber.

"No," replied Belthazor. "They attacked me and Turner was hurt. I couldn't risk further confrontation. Turner could have been killed."

"Jorlan," snarled Teltrick. "He's betrayed us. Bring the human to me. He'll pay for his subterfuge."

"Not so fast," said Baldasor. "Perhaps he didn't betray us. Belthazor and Cole are different sides of the same coin. The absorption crystal can capture and hold magical beings. But the Cole Turner half of my brother is human. It's why only Belthazor was trapped in the crystal. Absorption crystals have no power over mortals."

"So?" questioned Kempac.

"So, even though it trapped Belthazor, Cole is still half of who Belthazor is," said Baldasor. "Short of actually being vanquished, they are still connected. It is possible that the injuries and damage that Belthazor suffers would be transferred to Cole."

"The energy ball did not injure me," said Belthazor. "The witch's sister used her power to redirect my own attack back at me. But it caused me no injury."

"Because you are fully demon," said Baldasor. "That would have protected you even from your own attack. But Cole is fully human. He's as vulnerable to demonic attacks as any human. Which means even a minimal energy ball would be enough to injure him. Your demonic constitution protected you from the attack but his human constitution was inadequate to the task."

"Which changes the complexion of the situation," said Teltrick. "We have to kill the witches without endangering Cole. Everything we've worked for will be for naught if Cole is killed in the process. We will need a new plan."

"Perhaps not," said Baldasor. "Belthazor attacked the Charmed Ones when they were together. Every demon knows they are stronger together. That their combined magic protects them even better than their individual magic does. If we could separate them; get one of them alone. Then Belthazor could kill her weakening the other two."

"Why not send someone else to deal with them?" questioned Kempac. "Surely they wouldn't be expecting another demon to attack them. They'll be expecting Belthazor to return."

"The assignment to kill the Charmed Ones was given to Belthazor," said Teltrick. "If he is to redeem himself and prove to the Source he is still loyal it must be Belthazor that kills the witches. It's the only way the Source will remove the sentence of death he has placed on him."

"We must bide our time," said Baldasor. "The witches cannot remain together forever. When one of them is away from the others, that will be the time to strike."

"Agreed," said Teltrick. "Contact the changeling. Have him let us know when the sisters have separated. Then we can decide which sister will afford the best opportunity to attack."


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

"An absorption crystal?" questioned Piper. "What's that?"

"It's a very rare and valuable stone," said Leo. "It has the power to capture and control magical beings. While a magical being is trapped inside of an absorption crystal their powers are suspended."

"It might explain how they were able to separate Belthazor from me," said Cole. "Belthazor is the magical half of me. When it was used against me it would have trapped only the magical portion of me. An absorption crystal only has power over magical beings. Against mortals with no powers it's nothing more than a simple stone."

"So you're saying that whoever did this has effectively separated Belthazor from you," said Leo.

"That appears to be the most logical conclusion," said Cole. "As far as I know one of these crystals has never been used against a mortal because they have no power against them. But since it only works against magical beings it stands to reason that it wouldn't affect the human part of a magical-human hybrid. Like me."

"What I don't understand," said Leo, "is how they were able to remove Belthazor from the crystal without restoring him to Cole. Shouldn't you and he have merged back once he was released?"

"Not necessarily," said Cole. "It was always thought that the only way to release a being trapped in an absorption crystal was to destroy the crystal. But several decades ago I heard that a particularly powerful alchemist had learned how to remove a being trapped in a crystal without destroying it. If Belthazor was removed from the crystal without destroying it, it could mean that the magic that separated us is still intact. As long as it is it would effectively cause Belthazor and me to be two distinct beings."

"Then we have to find that crystal and destroy it," said Phoebe. "That should put Cole and Belthazor back together again."

"That could be easier said than done," said Cole. "As Leo and I told you, they are extremely rare. As far as I know only an alchemist knows how to use them properly. And they have been extremely reluctant to share that information with anyone except their apprentices. I'm not even sure which alchemist might have had one to use against me."

"So an alchemist has done this?" Piper asked. "I thought alchemists weren't exactly on good terms with demons."

"Most aren't," said Cole. "They're looked upon by the hierarchy as something like warlocks; a necessary evil. But I doubt it was an alchemist that did this. More than likely some demon hired an alchemist to do this for them."

"Okay," said Paige, "so the questions are which demon and why?"

"Why is obvious," said Cole. "He said he was here to complete the assignment I was sent to do."

"Kill us," said Piper.

"Right," said Cole. "Which means it was either the Source or the Brotherhood of the Thorn. They're the only ones who would care if I completed my assignment. And considering the Source wants me dead it's unlikely that he would give me a chance to redeem myself. He's not known for his forgiving nature. So my guess is that it's the Brotherhood that's done this."

"But why?" questioned Phoebe.

"To redeem myself," said Cole. "If I complete the mission I was sent for the Source will have no choice but to rescind his order of death. And the black mark on my name will be removed from the Brotherhood."

"But it's Belthazor doing this, not Cole Turner," protested Piper.

"To the Brotherhood we're one and the same," said Cole. "Two sides of the same coin, so to speak. So if Belthazor is successful in completing the mission then I'll be exonerated, too."

"I'd still like to know how they were able to separate Belthazor from you in the first place," said Phoebe.

"The mall," said Cole. "When I found that little girl I got dizzy for a second. I never gave it much thought at the time. It was only a moment and it passed almost instantly."

"What makes you think that's when it happened?" Paige asked.

"It's the only time I was separated from Phoebe since I got back to the manor," said Cole. "And now that I think about it, the dizziness could be the affects of a cerebral demon controlling my mind. So that I didn't notice what was going on. All they had to do was distract me, say, with a lost little girl. While I was concentrating on her they could have used a cerebral demon to cloud my mind and keep me in a trance long enough to use the crystal on me. Once that happened all they had to do was have the cerebral demon release me and I wouldn't have been the wiser. I wouldn't have noticed any lapse in time."

"It would also explain why they didn't just kill you while you were in the trance," said Leo. "Any other demon would have just followed the Source's orders and vanquished you. Only the Brotherhood would disobey the Source and risk his anger."

"Exactly," said Cole. "And if they're successful his anger will be tempered by death of the Charmed Ones. More than likely he'll reward me – and them – for that.""

"Even after you vanquished the Triad?" questioned Paige.

"The Source looses underlings all the time," said Cole. "He'll just look at is as the cost of getting the three of you."

"So what do we do now?" Phoebe asked. "Belthazor is back to kill us and we can't even defend ourselves. If we do we could end up killing you. Anything that happens to him happens to you."

"And vice versa," said Cole. "If attacking Belthazor hurt me then it stands to reason that whatever happens to me will affect him. We might be able to use that to our advantage."

"How?" Piper asked.

"I'm not sure yet," said Cole. "But it's likely that it's a side affect they didn't count on. Like I said, I've never heard of it being used on a half human before so they wouldn't have any basis for knowing how it would affect me."

"They seemed to know enough to know that it would separate the two of you," said Paige.

"Yes, but Cole might be right," said Leo. "You all know that magic can act in unpredictable ways. It's very possible that separating the two will have side affects that no one can predict. There may even be side affects we haven't discovered yet."

"Well, we'd better be getting prepared," said Piper. "They sent Belthazor after us once. I'm willing to bet their little setback won't stop them for long. They'll probably be sending someone after us again and they may not wait long to do it."

"They'll send Belthazor after us again," said Cole. "It's the only way for him to redeem himself in the eyes of the Source. He has to complete the mission he was sent to do. The mission I was sent to do. Which means he has to kill you himself. It would be a matter of honor for the Brotherhood."

"Well, at least we know who we'll be facing," said Paige. "The only question now is how best to use that information to our advantage."

"We'd better come up with something fast," said Cole. "I was famed in the Underworld for my plans. Belthazor will have all of my memories. Which means he'll also know about you."

"Okay," said Piper, "so the question is, if you were still after us, what would your next move be?"

Cole began to think. If Belthazor still thought as he did, then it should be a simple matter to decide what he would do next.


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"How much longer must I wait?" demanded Belthazor. "I've waited long enough for my revenge on the accursed witches. How long am I to wait until I can avenge myself on them?"

"Patience, brother," said Teltrick. "We must not be too hasty. If we move too quickly your revenge may be short lived. We cannot afford to take any unnecessary risks."

"The witches have tarnished my honor," said Belthazor. "Especially the middle sister. She seduced Cole and turned him against the Brotherhood. She must be made to pay for her meddling."

"And she will, brother," said Baldasor. "But Teltrick is correct. We cannot afford to place Cole in the path of danger."

"He is human," said Belthazor. "He is of no consequence."

"More consequence than you know, brother," said Teltrick. "From your description of your fight with the witches, what happened to you was transferred to him. It stands to reason that the reverse must also be true. That whatever happens to him will affect you. Which means the witches may be able to vanquish you without getting near you."

"Not to mention that he is a part of you," said Baldasor. "It is because of him that we understand humans better than we did before. Like it or not, you need him. We need him. So we have to figure out how to take out the witches without endangering him."

"He is weak," said Belthazor. "If not for him we would not have betrayed the Source. He should die as much as his witch should die."

"In which case you would die as well," said Baldasor. "Don't worry, brother. This will soon be over and everything will be back to normal. Which means you will again have to deal with your human half."

"That is not palatable," said Belthazor. "But as you have pointed out, Cole Turner is half of what I am. Once the witches have been dealt with I will make sure that Turner is no longer the one in control. I will again be the demon I was before. And the entire Underworld will fear and respect the name Belthazor."

"I have no doubt of that," said Teltrick.

"The changeling has been removed by the Source," said Kempac, coming into the chamber. "He felt it may have been in the witches' manor too long and was risking exposure. He has sent in a chameleon demon in its stead."

"The changeling has been removed?" questioned Teltrick. "This changes everything. How are we to keep an eye on the Charmed Ones if we do not have the changeling reporting on their movements."

"We may not have to," said Kempac. "The changeling told me that before he left the manor he learned that the witches are working on a special potion. One that will affect the demonic half of Belthazor but won't affect Cole Turner."

"Then they've discovered that Belthazor has been separated from Cole," said Baldasor. "This may complicate matters."

"Perhaps not," said Belthazor. "I still possess Turner's memories. The sisters have a very set pattern when preparing for combat. The eldest will normally prepare any potions they need or may think they may need. In this case she will be researching a new potion. Which means she will be in the kitchen working on that potion."

"How does that help us?" Teltrick asked.

"One of the sisters will be checking their Book of Shadows for any information that may help the eldest sister with her potion," said Belthazor. "Since they are researching a potion that will protect Turner I would imagine it will be the middle sister checking the book. She will want to make sure that no avenue is overlooked to protect her lover. It is also possible that Turner will be with her."

"What of the younger sister?" questioned Teltrick. "What will she be doing?"

"That is difficult to say," said Belthazor. "She has not been with them long enough to determine what she will do. She is a bit impulsive and somewhat independent. I do not think she has yet learned that cooperation with her sisters is her best chance of survival. She still feels she can handle herself alone even against demons."

"The oldest sister is much too dangerous to confront," said Teltrick. "Her explosive ability is quite formidable. She would not be an easy target. And if Turner is with the middle sister it would risk his being injured or killed. So it would seem the youngest would be the most logical target."

"Not necessarily," said Belthazor. "She is half White Lighter. I don't know if she has a White Lighter's healing ability but it is possible. Which means any attacks against her could be ineffective. If she has inherited her father's natural healing I could injure her but not kill her."

"What would you suggest?" asked Baldasor.

"The middle sister has no active powers," said Belthazor. "Even if Turner is with her she will be the least dangerous to confront. Without any powers Turner will be less than an annoyance to me. Besides, she is the one who caused his dishonor. It is only fitting that she be the first to pay for that."

"Turner must not be injured," said Teltrick. "When we are finished you and he must be restored."

"I have no desire to harm Turner," said Belthazor. "He only did what was in his nature. But it was the witch who turned him against the Underworld and the Brotherhood. Once she is gone his love for her will be gone as well."

"From the way you described it," said Baldasor, "I would imagine we have a very small window of opportunity. It won't take the witch long to check the book and discover whatever it has to say that they can use. And I understand the eldest sister is quite adept at creating potions, even new ones. It is possible she may be able to create the potion they need and it may not take her long to do it."

"I would agree," said Belthazor. "If I am to strike at the witch it must be now. While they are distracted and separated. Once they are finished they will again join forces and we will have lost our chance."

"Go then," said Teltrick. "Destroy the witch and return Turner to us. With one of the witches dead they will no longer have the Power of Three. And Belthazor will have fulfilled his obligation to the Source. Once she is dead we can go after the other two and finish them forever."

"But remember, brother," said Baldasor, "Turner must not be injured. I wish my brother back whole, as he was before this all started."

"I will remember, brother," said Belthazor. "He may be human but he is still a brother. I will bring him home to us."

Belthazor shimmered and vanished from the chamber.

"It's a shame we can't leave him like that," said Teltrick. "Without his human half his allegiances are straight forward."

"But Cole is a brother," said Baldasor. "To leave Belthazor as he is would necessitate destroying Cole. And a brother does not raise a hand against a brother. It has been so for the entire history of our order."

"What about Raynor?" asked Teltrick. "Turner vanquished him."

"Do you blame Cole for that?" Baldasor asked. "In order to be true to the Brotherhood a brother must first be true to himself. At the moment being human is who my brother is. Raynor tried to force him to go against his nature. He was wrong to do that."

"Most of the Brotherhood agrees with you on that," said Teltrick. "Who we are may change from time to time. And you are correct. Brother does not raise a hand against brother. Let us hope that Belthazor is enough to deal with the witch."

"My brother may surprise you," said Baldasor. "He has overcome adversity that I would have thought no demon could overcome. I'm sure he will be more than a match for one witch, even a Charmed One."

Phoebe was in the attic looking through the Book of Shadows. She was slowly turning each page reading the beginning of the each entry before moving on to the next entry. Occasionally she would read an entire entry before moving on. She was alone in the attic. Suddenly Belthazor shimmered into the attic.

"Hello, Phoebe," snarled Belthazor. "You've been much more trouble than you're worth, you know. Because of you my name is dishonored. Because of you I betrayed my brothers."

"Belthazor," said Phoebe looking up from the book.

"I'm sure you were expecting me," said Belthazor. "Only you probably didn't expect me so soon. Not after the setback I suffered earlier. You were probably thinking I would bide my time. Prepare myself a little better.

"Well, obviously you were wrong. Some times it's best to go slowly and prepare for a confrontation. But there are other times when a more direct approach is best. An approach before your opponent is ready for you. In the end, all that matters are the results."

He formed an energy ball and raised his hand.


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

"Which is exactly what I figured you'd do since that's what I would do," said Cole stepping into the attic. Behind him were Piper, Paige, and Leo. "There's one thing you didn't take into consideration, though. We are essentially the same person. Which means I knew exactly what you would do. Right down to almost the exact spot you'd shimmer to when you came here."

"It's a trap," snapped Belthazor.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Piper. "And you walked into it just like we figured you would. Like Cole said, you and he are basically the same person. Talk about getting inside the head of your opponent."

Cole bent over and placed a crystal on the floor in front of him. Too late Belthazore noticed the other crystals spread around him in a circle. Before he could move the crystal Cole had placed on the floor completed the circle and a power cage sprang to life.

"I know you as well as I know myself," said Cole. "Because you are me. I knew that I would be wanting to get in and kill Phoebe and get out as quickly as possible. I knew you'd be in a hurry to finish the job I was sent to do. And with Phoebe alone in the attic you'd figure she was an easy target, just like I would have. I probably would have overlooked the crystals, too. Just like you did."

Belthazor cast the energy ball he was holding directly at Phoebe. But the weapon struck the invisible barrier created by the crystal cage and dissipated harmlessly away. Next he tried to shimmer away but the shimmer also bounced off the power cage keeping the demon still trapped inside.

"You should know better than that," said Piper, sounding like a mother scolding a child. "Cole knows how useless it is to try and escape that crystal prison. You should know that, too."

"Traitor," Belthazor snarled at Cole. "You betray not only the Source and the Brotherhood, you betray yourself as well."

"I'm not sure that's even possible," said Cole. "Besides, I'm not betraying anyone. You and I are one. All I'm doing is trying to put you back where you belong."

"I belong with the Brotherhood," said Belthazor. "Serving the Source where you should be."

"You know I've changed," said Cole.

"You have," said Belthazor. "I haven't."

"Okay, so much for the heartfelt reunion," said Piper. "We have business to conduct. Listen up, red boy. We know how you were separated from Cole. Now, personally I'd prefer just to vanquish your sorry butt and be done with it. But Phoebe wants Cole back whole. So just tell us who has this absorption crystal that was used to separate you two and we can put this all behind us and get on with our lives."

"You are a bigger fool than he is," said Belthazor. "Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. Unlike this traitor I am loyal to the Brotherhood."

"Well, that answers one question," said Leo. "At least now we definitely know it was the Brotherhood doing this."

"You'll get no more information out of me, White Lighter," said Belthazor. "As I said, I'm loyal to the Brotherhood. Nothing you can do will persuade me to betray the Brotherhood."

"He's right about that," said Cole. "He'd rather die than give up the Brotherhood. If you knew about my initiation into the Brotherhood you'd know that I was willing to die rather than betray them. In fact, I thought I was going to die. There's nothing you can do that's going to do any good."

"Well, we have him here for now," said Paige. "At least we don't have to worry about him attacking any more."

"Yeah and we're no closer to getting him put back inside Cole than we were earlier," said Phoebe.

"Maybe we are," said Piper. "Come on. Let's go down to the kitchen. I have an idea that might get us the information we need."

Belthazor just watched as the five left the attic. He tested the crystal prison some more to see if there was a weakness he could exploit. There must be a way out of the prison. He just had to find it.

"Belthazor should have returned by now," said Teltrick. "He had only to kill one lone witch. That was his specialty. Killing witches. This one should have been easy for him."

"It is possible he had to wait until she was alone," said Baldasor. "He knew that Cole could not be injured. It is possible he couldn't kill her immediately without putting Cole in danger. Belthazor is very efficient and very patient. I can assure you he'll kill the witch."

"I hope so," said Teltrick. "Raynor was wrong to blackmail Belthazor as he did. But that does not excuse Belthazor's betrayal of the Source and the vanquishing of the Triad. I would like to remove that black mark from our record permanently."

"I'm sure he will," said Baldasor. "Belthazor has never failed to accomplish any mission he was sent on. Except for the obvious one, of course. I'm sure he'll accomplish this one as well."

"Not without a new plan," said Belthazor, walking into the chamber. "The witches were waiting for me when I got there. They trapped me in a crystal prison that seemed impervious to my powers."

"How did you escape, brother?" Baldasor asked.

"I still have a few secrets," said Belthazor. "A small piece of advice. Never reveal all of your secrets to anyone. You never know when one may come in handy."

"How is it you were able to keep this from Turner?" Teltrick asked. "You said yourself that you and he have the same memories."

"It was something I had forgotten about," said Belthazor. "I was desperate trying to get out of that prison. I had all but given up hope when I suddenly remembered something that happened decades ago. Considering I only remembered it because I was desperate it doubt it would have occurred to Turner."

"My brother is over one hundred years old, Teltrick," said Baldasor. "There must be many things that he has tucked away in his memory that he doesn't even realize he knows."

"No doubt," said Teltrick. "So, Belthazor, you're saying the witch still lives?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said Belthazor. "As I said, they were waiting for me. I had not taken into account that Turner and I would think nearly identically. They left me alone saying something about a plan to discover who had the absorption crystal that separated us."

"They're after Jorlan?" questioned Teltrick. "How could they know he had the crystal?"

"They didn't," said Belthazor. "They tried to get me to tell them where it was. Of course, I didn't know. But I refused to give them any information. The oldest witch seemed to have a plan to locate Jorlan. I escaped while they were discussing it. It is possible they are not even aware that I have escaped yet."

"They are in for a surprise," said Teltrick. "We purchased the crystal from him to release you. And we paid dearly, I can tell you. But it will be worth it once you are returned to us. But we still have the witches to deal with. Our primary goal has not changed."

"And we have lost the element of surprise," said Baldasor. "Now they know we are after them."

"Which may work to our advantage," said Belthazor. "They do not know that you have the crystal. Which means they will probably go after Jorlan thinking to get the crystal back from him. All we have to do is be there waiting when they arrive. They will be expecting to be facing only a human alchemist. They won't be expecting to be facing the Brotherhood of the Thorn."

"Surely they know we are the ones behind this," said Teltrick.

"Yes," said Baldasor, "but Cole is sure to tell them that demons only work with alchemists when it is necessary. Belthazor is correct. My brother will inform them of everything he knows about alchemists."

"Then it should be simple," said Teltrick. "We have enough of the Brotherhood waiting with Jorlan to insure that even the famed Charmed Ones cannot survive. And we will make sure that the Source is made aware that is was possible because of Belthazor."

"What of the crystal?" Belthazor asked. "We must be sure it is safe when we go against the Charmed Ones."

"It will be," said Baldasor. "Kempac will hold onto the crystal until we are finished. Then we can reintegrate you back into Cole."

"I should return to the manor," said Belthazor. "If they discover I've escaped they may suspect a trap with Jorlan."

"That's not safe," said Teltrick.

"Safer than you would think, brother," said Belthazor. "They wish to reintegrate me with Turner as well. So they aren't likely to harm me. Besides, they have also discovered that what affects me also affects him. And their entire motivation is to save him. So they are not likely to allow me to come to harm if they have any choice."

"Be careful, brother," said Baldasor. "The witches are crafty."

"Don't worry, brother," said Belthazor. "The witch's will be much too busy with the Brotherhood to be concerned with me. Once they have gone to retrieve the crystal I will simply escape their prison again. The next time we meet the Charmed Ones will be dead and I will be a member of the Brotherhood once more."

Belthazor turned and left the chamber. Baldasor looked at Teltrick.

"We have plans to make," said Baldasor. "This time the Charmed Ones do not escape us."


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

"What can you tell us about this Jorlan?" Piper asked Cole.

"He's an alchemist," said Cole. "He used to be the apprentice of another alchemist named Kumak. Kumak began to experiment in cloning witches and turning the clones evil a few decades back. To the best of my knowledge he's never been successful. After a couple of decades Jorlan came to the conclusion that it couldn't be done and went out on his own."

"And he's the one who had this absorption crystal?" asked Phoebe.

"Yes," said Cole. "He made it known to the Underworld that he had acquired it some time back. And that it was available to any demon who wanted it: for the right price. Until now no demon needed it bad enough to pay his price."

"Looks like that changed," said Paige. "Apparently the Brotherhood thought you were worth paying his price for it."

"It's as much for them as it is for me," said Cole. "Not to mention that they expect to get the three of you in the process. That's would give them even more prestige than they all ready have especially with the Source. That will please Kempac."

"What do we know about this Kempac?" Leo asked.

"He was one of the original Brotherhood members," said Cole. "He's never had any desire to lead the Brotherhood and usually has been content to work as an advisor to the leader."

"You said Teltrick was the most likely choice to be the new leader of the Brotherhood," said Leo.

"Yes," said Cole. "He's belonged to the Brotherhood nearly as long as Kempac. He's well respected by the other members. Everyone suspected that if Raynor was ever vanquished or stepped down that Kempac would succeed him. And he and Kempac have always had a close bond. If Teltrick is chosen leader to succeed Raynor I think it's likely he'll choose Kempac to be his lieutenant."

"So we have Teltrick and Kempac and who knows else to deal with to get the crystal back," said Paige. "My question is how are we going to get the crystal back from a group of upper level demons without getting ourselves killed?"

"I get it," said Cole.

"That's out of the question," said Phoebe. "You have no powers. You're not even half demon any more. It's too dangerous."

"But I'm the only one who can get it," said Cole. "Look, the Brotherhood has done all this to get me back. They aren't likely to hurt me. I'm one of them. Brother does not hurt brother. It's the code of the Brotherhood."

"You killed Raynor," said Piper.

"And the others will understand why," said Cole. "What he did would have been perfectly acceptable with any other demon. But to do it to another member of the Brotherhood was completely contrary to what the Brotherhood stands for."

"How are you going to get it?" Leo asked. "They aren't likely to just give it to you."

"That depends on how you ask them," said Cole, glancing at the ceiling. "And just who does the asking."

"I know that look," said Phoebe. "You're all ready have something in mind, don't you?"

"I did spend most of my life working out plans to accomplish my missions," said Cole smiling coyly. "Most of the time it required me to come up with something on the fly. After nearly a hundred years of doing it you kind of get good at it."

"So what is this plan you have in mind?" asked Piper.

Cole just smiled at the group.

Kempac looked at the absorption crystal and then put it up on a shelf. He would have preferred to gone with his brothers to face the witches in battle. The Brotherhood of the Thorn did not shrink from battle. Under normal circumstances he would not have been sitting in this chamber waiting for his brothers to return.

But these were not normal circumstances. If they were successful they would return a wayward brother to the fold. And the Brotherhood would be whole again. It was his responsibility to safeguard the crystal that would make that possible. As second in the Brotherhood it would often fall to him to remain behind while his brothers went into battle.

He heard a noise at the entrance to the chamber. He wasn't worried. The personal chambers of the Brotherhood of the Thorn were some of the best guarded chambers in the Underworld. If anyone tried to gain access to the chambers without permission they would find them nearly impossible to reach.

He expected to see Teltrick and the others enter the chamber. They had been gone a long time. They had no way of knowing how soon the Charmed Ones would take before they went to Jorlan. But he knew that when they did his brothers would be victorious over them. He looked on in surprise as he saw Cole enter the chamber followed by Belthazor.

"Brother," said Kempac in surprise. "I had not expected to see you so soon."

"Hello, Kempac," said Cole. "It's been a while."

"The witches left to got to Jorlan," said Belthazor. "They left him behind so that he wouldn't be harmed. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to return him to us."

"That was good thinking," said Kempac. "Now we have him back with us. Once the witches are dead the task will be complete and he can take his place at our side where he belongs. Don't look so surprised, Cole. You didn't think we'd just let you walk away, did you? Even now your witch and her sisters walk into an ambush. One that not even they can withstand. And you will get the credit for their deaths. The Source will welcome you back with open arms."

Cole just stared at Kempac.

"We should kill him," said Belthazor. "So that we never have to be concerned with him again."

"We've had this conversation, brother," said Kempac. "As distasteful as it may be for you he is still part of who you are. Besides, he is also a brother. He belongs with us."

"Of course," said Cole. "Once a brother always a brother. The creed of the Brotherhood of the Thorn. Even after I vanquished Raynor you still accept me back."

"It is the way of the Brotherhood," said Kempac. "Just as we would accept back any wayward brother. But you're home now, brother."

"Where is the crystal?" Belthazor asked. "If he is to return to the Brotherhood we might as well get it over with."

Kempac walked over and picked the crystal up from the shelf where he had placed it. He walked over and held it out. Belthazor took the crystal from him.

"That would be a mistake," said a voice from the chamber entryway.

They all turned to see a demon standing in the doorway. The demon was very reminiscent of Belthazor but the black markings wore were somewhat different from Belthazor's.

"Baldasor?" questioned Kempac. "What are you doing here? I thought you went with Teltrick and the others to deal with the witches?"

"I remained behind," said Baldasor. "I had hoped I was wrong. But I can clearly see I was not. You have been played the fool, old friend. That," he indicated Belthazor, "is not my brother. He is an imposter."

Cole looked at Belthazor and then at Baldasor.


	11. Chapter 11

ELEVEN

"I don't understand," said Kempac. "How could he not be your brother?"

"My guess would be that he's the Charmed One's White Lighter," said Baldasor. "They have the ability to glamour. It would be a simple matter for him to assume Belthazor's form. And he is quite convincing. But not convincing enough."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Belthazor. "How dare you impugn my word. I should vanquish you for your impudence."

"Save it, Leo," said Cole. "Baldasor is probably the only demon, aside from my mother, who would know that you aren't the real Belthazor. He's my brother by blood."

Belthazor looked at Cole for a moment and then glamoured into Leo.

"We should get out of here," said Leo. "We have what we came for."

"Attempt to orb, White Lighter," said Kempac, "and you will not live to reach your destination."

"I don't see a Dark Lighter around," said Leo. "And without a Dark Lighter you have no chance of killing me."

"We have no quarrel with you, White Lighter," said Baldasor. "It is Cole we wish to have back. Leave him with us and you are free to leave."

"How did you know?" Cole asked Baldasor. "What made you suspect?"

"It was when your White Lighter impersonated Belthazor the last time he was here," said Baldasor. "When we planned the ambush on your witch and her sister. I wasn't sure then. But he said had escaped from their crystal prison because he still had a few secrets. I found that odd. I taught Belthazor much of what he knows."

"But not everything," said Cole. "I have been taught many things by a lot of other people."

"You also gave me a bit of advice," said Baldasor. "You said never tell anyone all of your secrets. That was a bit of advice I gave Belthazor when he was still young. I found it extremely odd that he would give me that advice since I'm the one who gave it to him."

"I had to think fast," said Leo. "I couldn't very well tell you that I wasn't really Belthazor and that we still had him trapped in that crystal cage."

"Of course," said Baldasor. "But what clinched it for me was that Belthazor walked into and out of the chamber. He didn't shimmer. The Belthazor I know would never have done that. Shimmering is a typical demonic power and he used it whenever possible. To prove he was as much a demon as any other demon. There would have been no need for him to leave the chamber to return to the manor. Not unless he wasn't able to shimmer."

"We knew there was a risk with Leo impersonating me," said Cole. "But it was worth the risk. Like Leo said, we have what we came for."

"I assume that Belthazor is still a prisoner in your crystal cage," said Baldasor.

"The last time I looked," said Cole. "Oh, and your little ambush isn't going to be successful. Phoebe and her sisters never went to Jordan's. They're at the manor right now keeping an eye on my alter ego."

"As I suspected," said Baldasor.

"We still have Cole," said Kempac. "And the White Lighter. When Teltrick and the others return we can go retrieve Belthazor. The witches will die and our brother will be returned to us."

"That's not going to happen," said Cole. "That's not who I am any more. Even if you should somehow kill Phoebe, I'll never return to the Brotherhood." He looked at Baldasor. "You remember when I was growing up. How hard I tried to prove I was as much a true demon as any full blooded demon. How even the most innocent remark could set me off if I thought someone was accusing me of not being a demon."

"I remember," said Baldasor. "You even attempted to fight me when you were ten, even though I believe you knew you had no chance against me."

"I remember," said Cole. "Well, that's how serious I am about this. Nothing you can do can change that. I'm not the demon I used to be. Phoebe's love has changed all that. I still consider you my brother but I can't go back to being what I was. Can't you see that?"

"Return the crystal," demanded Kempac. "It is time that Belthazor returned to us."

"No," said Baldasor. "If Belthazor is to return to us he must do so willingly. We cannot force him to return. Brothers remain because of the bond between us. He is still a brother but it must be his choice."

Kempac bowed slightly and stepped back. Even though he was second in the Brotherhood he understood that Baldasor knew his brother better than anyone. And Baldasor was right. If Cole was to return to them he had to choose to return.

"Take the crystal, brother," said Baldasor. "It is clear our current course of action will not return you to us. It will serve no purpose to continue. One day you will return to us, Cole. You cannot deny what you are. Your love for this witch has colored your judgment for the time being. But eventually you will come to see that you belong with us."

"You're wrong, Baldasor," said Cole. "I don't belong here any longer."

"We should be going, Cole," said Leo. "We need to get this back so the girls can figure out how to use it to put you back together."

"Destroy the crystal," said Baldasor. "That will end the magic that has separated my brother and restore him."

"And why should we believe you?" Leo asked.

"Because he's my brother," said Cole. "He may be a demon but he'd never lie to me."

"Once a brother," said Baldasor.

Cole slowly nodded his head up and down. He knew that Baldasor understood about Phoebe. Teltrick would not be happy that they had let him escape. But Baldasor would make him understand. Leo took Cole's arm and orbed them out of the Underworld. Neither Baldasor nor Kempac attempted to stop them.

"And you say they just let you orb out?" Piper asked. "Without even trying to stop you?"

"Yes," said Cole. "Once they realized I wasn't coming back to them they had no reason to keep us."

"But their demons," protested Paige. "It doesn't make sense that they'd just let you walk out of there."

"Well, they had no beef with Leo," said Cole. "And their plan was to get me to return to them. I wasn't their enemy. It would have served no purpose to keep us there."

"Excuse me," said Piper, "but doesn't the Source have you under a death sentence?"

"Yes," said Cole patiently, "but the Brotherhood is different. It's hard to explain. Let's just say that it was in their best interest to let us go and leave it at that."

"I'm just happy to have my Cole back," said Phoebe, hugging him. "For a while I wasn't sure what we were going to do. And I wasn't real crazy about having Belthazor after us again."

"Well you never have to worry about that again," said Cole. "Like I told Kempac and Baldasor, that's not me anymore. And I have no intentions of ever going back there again."

"That's good," said Piper. 'Because I don't like Leo going down to the Underworld for any reason. Especially when his cover is blown and there's a demon wanting to kill him."

"I was fine," said Leo. "I could have orbed out of there any time before Kempac did anything."

"Let's just not let it happen again, okay?" questioned Piper.

"You know," said Cole to Phoebe, "I saw an outfit at the store the other day I think you'd look fabulous in. Want to go back tomorrow and see how it fits? My treat."

"Am I hearing you right?" Phoebe asked. "Are you actually saying you want to go clothes shopping with me?"

"Well, after the last couple of days I figure clothes shopping with you can't be worse than what we just went through," said Cole. "Besides, I have to get used to it sooner or later. And I've never backed away from a challenge before."

"Okay," said Phoebe, "but this time no wandering off. The next time they may decide to just take you out of the mall."

"No wandering off, I promise," said Cole. "This time we stay together the entire time."

Phoebe just squealed as she hugged Cole close. Piper also hugged Leo, glad to have her husband back safe and sound. As the only single one in the room, Paige decided she suddenly needed a glass of water.

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, Creative Passions, listed in my bio. You can also post your own "Charmed" stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.


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